4 Things To Know About Google +

1.) It’s Another Social Media Site

I know what you’re thinking. Not another social media application that I have to feed information to. You may even still be on the fence about the value of social media in the first place. The difference with Google + is that it is directly tied into the world’s most widely-used search engine.

Google + is Google’s answer to Facebook. You can share content including text, photos and video to your network of contacts. Your contacts can rate and respond to what you have shared. You can add contacts, block contacts, connect to other services such as Twitter and a lot more.

2.) It’s Like Facebook But It’s Also Not

Within Google+, you are able to create groups of contacts called Circles and then share content with your Circles.

On the surface, Google+’s +1 Button may seem a lot like Facebook’s “like” concept. The +1 button allows you to validate a good item of content, much like “liking” something on Facebook.

3.) It May Bring You More Personalized Search Results

But, we have to remember that Google + is directly tied into the Google Search Engine so the +1 button may help with SEO rankings in the future. You may have noticed the +1 button that has shown up beside search results. When you mouse over a result, the +1 button displays. Clicking on it indicates to Google that you have endorsed that result as a good piece of information.

In order to use Google + and to +1 a piece of content, you must be logged into your Google account. You may have noticed that you receive different search results when logged into your Google account than you do when you are not. When you +1 something, you are effectively giving Google an idea of what you like and could be contributing to your personal search algorithm, which means you could start to receive different search results based on your +1’s.

4.) It Means Good SEO is still Good SEO

Search Engine Optimization strategies that are based on creating quality websites with quality content are still as important as ever. Search Engines understand that underneath a promotions strategy, there needs to be value for the visitor.

For business niches where strong social media activity occurs, it may mean that two parallel strategies need to run. One for sound optimization and website content management and the other for social media including personalized SEO results. The social strategy for niche groups that are affected by Google+ will have to include finding ways to earn the +1 approval of the people and influencers within that niche. It’s the same as finding followers on Twitter and making friends and getting likes on Facebook.